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Antidepressants - your thoughts & experiences


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I've been on antidepressants for two years now. I've also had them when I was a bit younger. I think people use the word depressed kind of loosley and that might have something to do with it. Depressed people are not a homogeneous group, and besides that there are diffrent kind of depression and different reasons why people get depression. There are ALOT of diffrent medication that works in different ways - so it's not something to take lightly. I'm from Sweden, and we have one of the world best health care systems, I think I changed medication about 6 times before I got the right one.

Depression should have always been taking seriously. Never question somebody who thinks they have it - it can go really bad if they feel that no one takes them seriously and feel the need to prove it.

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I’ve been in and out for 3 years now. I’m currently taking them again and like @samblakejacobssaid every person is different and you need the right doctor and the right meds that works for your body and your mind. I was lucky the first one I got is the one I’m still taking now but I know people who needed to try 3 or 4 different ones till they found what was best dor them, so it’s also important to not give up if that happens.

Also antidepressants are not a cure for anxiety, depression, insomnia… they are just a little help, there’s a lot you need to do and work on yourself, they’re not “magic pills” like some people think 

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5 hours ago, samblakejacobs said:

I've been on antidepressants for two years now. I've also had them when I was a bit younger. I think people use the word depressed kind of loosley and that might have something to do with it. Depressed people are not a homogeneous group, and besides that there are diffrent kind of depression and different reasons why people get depression. There are ALOT of diffrent medication that works in different ways - so it's not something to take lightly. I'm from Sweden, and we have one of the world best health care systems, I think I changed medication about 6 times before I got the right one.

Depression should have always been taking seriously. Never question somebody who thinks they have it - it can go really bad if they feel that no one takes them seriously and feel the need to prove it.

Kids nowadays think depression is when you feel sad and you don't like anything and all you do is listen to sad music and wear dark clothes.

No.

Depression is when you can't eat even though you stomach hurts, you feel drained so much you stop showering, changing clothes, you can't remember things, you can't focus... and even if sunny and nice outside you still can't enjoy it and it sucks.

I hate romantization of depression. There's nothing nice about it.

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I took them as a kid. I was super depressed at a very young age from 8 to 12.  They were the worst. I dont necessarily think they are bad but you have to find the right one for you. The ones I was taking made me so numb and lifeless. I started having hallucinations so my mom made me stop taking them.

 

Thankfully I haven't had to take them as an adult but I do have bad anxiety. 

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Give or take, I've heard more people complaining about them than praising them (and by people I mean my friends). Actually, I have only one friend who says good things about antidepressants, but also, she's been taking them for over 10 years now. I think her and her therapist had plenty of time to figure out which ones fit her best, and just how much she should be taking. 

Overall, they do mess with your brains chemistry a lot and its always a gamble whether you get an amazing experience or not. Although I do prefer the "healthy" approach, meaning, fixing your diet, working out, breaking out of your shell and going out even when your entire body is screaming at you that you should stay in, I'm fully aware this doesn't work for every single person.

I think no one can help better than a therapist, antidepressants should be the absolute last resort when nothing else seems to be working. 

Very sorry to hear you're going through a tough time, I can only imagine how bad depression is. I'm not sure if I ever had it myself, maybe I did or maybe it was just a super difficult time for me that I've managed to go through somewhat unscathed. But either way, I'm wishing you best of luck and godspeed recovery so you can feel good about yourself again :hugs_madonna_britney_ftr_2008_circus_hugging_friends_support:

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1 hour ago, BUWYGF said:

Give or take, I've heard more people complaining about them than praising them (and by people I mean my friends). Actually, I have only one friend who says good things about antidepressants, but also, she's been taking them for over 10 years now. I think her and her therapist had plenty of time to figure out which ones fit her best, and just how much she should be taking. 

Overall, they do mess with your brains chemistry a lot and its always a gamble whether you get an amazing experience or not. Although I do prefer the "healthy" approach, meaning, fixing your diet, working out, breaking out of your shell and going out even when your entire body is screaming at you that you should stay in, I'm fully aware this doesn't work for every single person.

I think no one can help better than a therapist, antidepressants should be the absolute last resort when nothing else seems to be working. 

Very sorry to hear you're going through a tough time, I can only imagine how bad depression is. I'm not sure if I ever had it myself, maybe I did or maybe it was just a super difficult time for me that I've managed to go through somewhat unscathed. But either way, I'm wishing you best of luck and godspeed recovery so you can feel good about yourself again :hugs_madonna_britney_ftr_2008_circus_hugging_friends_support:

I can prescribe myself any med.because of the license but medications in theory =/= in real life. The most I did today is washed my hair 2nd time this month and that's it. I was too drained to do anything else.

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
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I have been on and off of antidepressants in the past, and have not taken them for a few years at this point. Like many have said, it might take some trial and error in finding one/a combination that works for you.

My doctor had said you don’t really understand how they affect you on a daily basis for at least six weeks. So finding one can be somewhat time intensive, but once you find one, you’ll probably notice the benefits. I’m currently trying to muster up the energy to admit that I need to probably revisit antidepressants again…

I would really suggest working with a certified psychiatrist more than anything. I worked through my general/primary doctor which is fine, since he can prescribe the medication, but I felt like maybe he didn’t have the full knowledge of side effects, interactions etc. and he had so many different patients to see, which made his advise sometimes feel surface.

So if you have access, definitely work with someone who is trained and trusted in your community/area.

Of course, my experience with medication is solely related to my experience, and it’s hard to really equate your (potential) experience to someone else since medication affects everyone uniquely!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/11/2021 at 9:33 PM, senammoises said:

I was about to take them but then I started to meditate regularly and I feel sooo good that I think I don't need any chemicals anymore

That's great! Exercise and meditation can definitely help but sometimes it's not enough so I'm glad it worked for you

To the OP, Lexapro made a huge difference for me. A certified psychiatrist can really help you figure out the right dosage and if it would be helpful to combine it with other medications while explaining all the side effects.

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